They’ve shared kicking duties this week, but both Hugh O’Neill and Grant Shaw say they don’t see a change coming to the Edmonton Eskimos’ kicking setup.
O’Neill, who joined the team last month as a free agent, missed his first two field goal attempts in Friday’s Labour Day rematch loss to the Calgary Stampeders, sending attempts from 36 and 42 yards wide to his left. He made his third and final attempt of the night, a 14-yard fourth-quarter chip shot, in the 22-12 loss.
While both have gotten equal work this week on field goals, the two Edmonton-bred kickers said they don’t anticipate any changes for Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
“Whoever is kicking, the goal is to make field goals and to try and help the team win, whether it be me or Hugh,” said Shaw, who ran into field goal problems prior to O’Neill’s arrival, while handling kickoff and punting duties. “So I think no matter what, you want to see the field goal be completed and be good and get the team some points.”
Eskimos head coach Kavis Reed said a short-term memory works best for kickers coming off of a bad game.
“In sports you always say, ‘Can he have amnesia quickly?’ That’s what we need. You can’t go back and un-ring the bell,” he said. “You have to make certain you’re able to move forward and have the focus that you need and trust in the mechanics that got you to this point.”
O’Neill, 23, is trying to do just that.
“At my position you put the last kick behind you and keep going from there,” he said. “In years of being a kicker you learn to put things behind you. You do learn from it though — you diagnose what was the problem and correct it, like any position.”
In sports, like in any job, there is a grim side to the situation. When you don’t perform, you don’t last long in your role. In that vein, the Eskimos released returner and defensive back Deante Purvis on Thursday morning. Purvis had signed with the Eskimos on Aug. 20. He came off of the practice roster for the Labour Day game against Calgary and had three kick returns for 76 yards, but watched a ball fall short in front of him and be turned over to open the second half.
Reed said the drop/non-catch was a factor in the release.
“We all make mistakes,” the coach said. “It was a factor but it wasn’t the overriding factor. If he returned one for a touchdown we’d be having a different conversation.”
The Eskimos are now focused on Jamal Miles as their return man and may work him into the lineup for Saturday.
KOCH UNLIKELY FOR SATURDAY
Cary Koch underwent one final assessment for his injured left knee on Thursday afternoon but the outlook isn’t good for the Eskimos’ talented slotback suiting up Saturday against Winnipeg, Reed said. Koch is second in team receiving this year for Edmonton, with 42 catches for 516 yards and four touchdowns.
While tailback Hugh Charles is recovered from the hamstring strain he suffered on Aug. 24 against Saskatchewan, his backup, John White, looks to be doubtful for this week’s game. White sat out of practice again on Thursday. Also sitting out was defensive end Justin Capicciotti. Another defensive end, in Brandon Lang, could be coming off of the nine-game injured list as early as this week. The second-year Eskimo went onto the list just before the Labour Day game against Calgary, but has rejoined his teammates on special teams and defence in practice.
STOLLERY VISITOR DROPS IN ON PRACTICE
The Eskimos wrapped their Thursday practice up with a special visitor.
Four-year-old Cooper Szysky had been out of the Stollery Children’s Hospital for a day and went straight to Commonwealth Stadium to pay his favourite football team a visit. Coming off of a spinal surgery, Szysky and his mother, Keeley, were at the Eskimos’ practice to repay all of the visits they’d received from the team while Cooper had been in the hospital.
“He grabbed our hearts,” Eskimos community relations manager Nick Pelletier said. Eskimos head coach Kavis Reed and a player visit the children’s hospital the day before every home game and through this season got to know Cooper.
The Eskimos posed for a team picture with Cooper and Keeley on the field when they’d finished their practice.
